Rich Villodas – författare

During our chaotic times, discover five forgotten values that can spark internal growth and help us reconcile our Christian faith with the complexities of race, sexuality, and social justice.WINNER OF THE CHRISTIANITY TODAY BOOK AWARDMost believers live in the state of “being a Christian” without ever being deeply formed by Christ. Our pace is too frenetic to be in union with God, and we don’t know how to quiet our hearts and minds to be present. Our emotions are unhealthy and compartmentalized. We feel unable to love well or live differently from the rest of the world—to live as people of the good news.New York pastor Rich Villodas says we must restore balance, focus, and meaning for our souls. The Deeply Formed Life lays out a fresh vision for spiritual breakthrough following five key values:• Contemplative Rhythms Value: slowing down our lives to be with God.• Racial Justice Value: examining a multi-layered approach to pursuing racial justice and reconciliation.• Interior Examination Value: looking beneath the surface of our lives to live free and love well.• Sexual Wholeness Value: exploring how our sexuality connects with our spirituality.• Missional Presence Value: living as the presence of Christ in a broken world. The Deeply Formed Life is a roadmap to live in the richly rooted place we all yearn for: a place of communion with God, a place where we find our purpose. Praise for The Deeply Formed Life“The Deeply Formed Life is a book for our time. Honest, wise, insightful, funny, and—above all—deep. The way Rich and New Life Fellowship hold emotional health and racial justice together is beyond inspiring. This is spiritual formation for the future of the church.”—John Mark Comer, pastor of teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church and author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry “I’ve studied the Bible under Pastor Rich’s leadership for close to a decade. The core values he shares in this book serve as guidance, not only for how we should live as Christians in an ever-changing world but also for how we can live a life of purpose—that consistently and enthusiastically points to Jesus.”—Susan Kelechi Watson, actress from the awardwinning television series This Is Us

ECPA BESTSELLER • An invitation to love like Jesus and step beyond distraction and division into the joy we long to experience—from the author of The Deeply Formed Life, winner of the Christianity Today Book Award “A stunning book with power to reshape our world . . . if we let it.”—Glenn Packiam, pastor and author of Blessed Broken GivenWe long for a good life, a beautiful life, a kind life. But clearly that’s not the world we live in. We carry the stress of our fractured world in our bodies and relationships. Families that once gathered around tables have converted those tables into walls. Hostility, rage, and offense is the language of our culture. How did we lose goodness, kindness, and beauty? And more important, how do we get them back into our lives? These are the two questions crying out in our streets, homes, churches, and from deep within our souls. Pastor and author Rich Villodas is convinced that only Jesus offers a way of being human that is both strong and tender enough to tear down the walls of hostility we experience daily. In Good and Beautiful and Kind, he reveals how… • These three essentials are stolen by sin, powers and principalities, and trauma. • We can get goodness, beauty, and kindness back through contemplative prayer, humility, and the cultivation of calm presence. • The traits of healthy conflict, forgiveness, and justice lead to wholeness, healing, and a new collective future—when rooted in the ancient way of Jesus. Filled with fresh energy, classic truth, and practical solutions, this is your road map for stepping beyond distraction and division to love like Jesus. Doing so will change the atmosphere within you…and around you!

'This is Rich Villodas at his pastoral best. His writing shimmers with grace, reflecting the radiance of a kingdom vision of the good life.'-GLENN PACKIAM'This book is a much-needed heart checkup for every Jesus follower.'-CHRISTINE CAINE'A book for all who are interested, intrigued, and deeply drawn to the possibility of Jesus and his narrow way.'-JOHN MARK COMER'In The Narrow Path, Rich is telling a biography of Jesus - the Divine One who not only clears the way, teaches the way, and shows the way, but is the Way. The path is narrow because it is only as wide as the person of Christ. But it is big enough for everyone's unique journey of life because he is the saviour of all.'-JUSTIN WELBY, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURYWe live in a culture that wants it all. More is seen as better - whether it's more money, social media fame, more choices, or power. For those chasing this way of life, 'narrow' seems negative. Who wants to narrow their options, or be seen as narrow-minded? Which is why the most well-known talk in history - the Sermon on the Mount - is also the most paradoxical. In it, Jesus holds up the narrow path as the most spacious ... and the broader path as the more confining one.Rich Villodas, bestselling author of The Deeply Formed Life, helps us to diagnose whether we are following the broad or narrow path, in order to help us pursue the way of Jesus more deeply. The Narrow Path reintroduces the counterintuitive wonder of Jesus's timeless wisdom for this age, one fraught with anxiety, depression, polarizing politics, and online vitriol. The path of Jesus is most certainly narrow, but it is the only one filled with the ever-expanding life of God . . . and it is available now for all who want it!

'This is Rich Villodas at his pastoral best. His writing shimmers with grace, reflecting the radiance of a kingdom vision of the good life.'-GLENN PACKIAM'This book is a much-needed heart checkup for every Jesus follower.'-CHRISTINE CAINE'A book for all who are interested, intrigued, and deeply drawn to the possibility of Jesus and his narrow way.'-JOHN MARK COMER'In The Narrow Path, Rich is telling a biography of Jesus - the Divine One who not only clears the way, teaches the way, and shows the way, but is the Way. The path is narrow because it is only as wide as the person of Christ. But it is big enough for everyone's unique journey of life because he is the saviour of all.'-JUSTIN WELBY, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURYWe live in a culture that wants it all. More is seen as better - whether it's more money, social media fame, more choices, or power. For those chasing this way of life, 'narrow' seems negative. Who wants to narrow their options, or be seen as narrow-minded? Which is why the most well-known talk in history - the Sermon on the Mount - is also the most paradoxical. In it, Jesus holds up the narrow path as the most spacious ... and the broader path as the more confining one.Rich Villodas, bestselling author of The Deeply Formed Life, helps us to diagnose whether we are following the broad or narrow path, in order to help us pursue the way of Jesus more deeply. The Narrow Path reintroduces the counterintuitive wonder of Jesus's timeless wisdom for this age, one fraught with anxiety, depression, polarizing politics, and online vitriol. The path of Jesus is most certainly narrow, but it is the only one filled with the ever-expanding life of God . . . and it is available now for all who want it!

Enjoy daily readings to help you slow down, savour the Christmas season and deepen your relationship with Jesus with the beautiful 25-day Advent devotional from the bestselling author of The Deeply Formed Life.In the busyness of the holiday season, it’s easy to neglect what really matters: reflecting on the glory of Jesus. We want to pray more – to spend time with God – but the tyranny of the urgent leaves us distracted and depleted.In this inspiring daily devotional, pastor and bestselling author Rich Villodas guides you through 25 days of reflections, prayers and prompts to help you slow down, connect with God and rediscover peace this Advent season.Each day in this devotional features a short reflection from Rich, followed by a four-fold rhythm:Silence and prayer: Pause for a few moments. Take a breath. Rest.Scripture: Read a short passage about the wonder of Jesus.Sage wisdom: Read short, inspiring quotes from Christians through the ages.Self-reflection: Bring your full self to God and enjoy his presence. Each day offers space for personal reflection, preparing your heart for Jesus’s arrival and culminating in a final devotional on Christmas Day.As you journey through Advent, reclaim joy and behold the wondrous love of God this Christmas with the Waiting for Jesus daily Advent devotional.Ebury Vine: The Home Of Christian Living. Drawing on the deep roots of Christianity to cultivate curious minds and inspire faith-informed growth.

Outreach 2022 Recommended Resource (Spiritual Growth)All fruitful doing must begin with being. For many Christians, it's easy to be swept up into the fast pace of modern life, desiring to do much for God. But we struggle to slow down and be with God.According to pastor, Enneagram teacher, and author AJ Sherrill, being with God is what empowers doing for God. Sherrill shares his own journey from "busy" Christianity to the ancient paths of contemplative practices. He equips readers to integrate rhythms of stillness, silence, and solitude, offering step-by-step guidance and examples of finding solitude both personally and on retreats.Sherrill warns that making these changes appears absurd in a society where time is money, productivity is central, and hurry is a way of life. He guides readers gently through the beginning and often confusing stages of contemplative practice. Citing timely insights from the world of neurology and mental health, he shows that solitude is crucial not only for Christian growth but also for holistic flourishing. Foreword by Rich Villodas.Readers will emerge, centered in Christ, well on their way to this goal: slow down, pay attention, be still, and be loved.

Enjoy daily readings to help you slow down, savour the Christmas season and deepen your relationship with Jesus with the beautiful 25-day Advent devotional from the bestselling author of The Deeply Formed Life.In the busyness of the holiday season, it’s easy to neglect what really matters: reflecting on the glory of Jesus. We want to pray more – to spend time with God – but the tyranny of the urgent leaves us distracted and depleted.In this inspiring daily devotional, pastor and bestselling author Rich Villodas guides you through 25 days of reflections, prayers and prompts to help you slow down, connect with God and rediscover peace this Advent season.Each day in this devotional features a short reflection from Rich, followed by a four-fold rhythm:Silence and prayer: Pause for a few moments. Take a breath. Rest.Scripture: Read a short passage about the wonder of Jesus.Sage wisdom: Read short, inspiring quotes from Christians through the ages.Self-reflection: Bring your full self to God and enjoy his presence. Each day offers space for personal reflection, preparing your heart for Jesus’s arrival and culminating in a final devotional on Christmas Day.As you journey through Advent, reclaim joy and behold the wondrous love of God this Christmas with the Waiting for Jesus daily Advent devotional.Ebury Vine: The Home Of Christian Living. Drawing on the deep roots of Christianity to cultivate curious minds and inspire faith-informed growth.